The People of Syntagma Square by Alex Franciosa

One of the most interesting things to learn in a foreign country is that people are all the same. While they speak different languages and eat better food, they all fall into the same basic groups. While walking through Athens at night, I was astounded-and comforted-by the fact that I often found myself forgetting I wasn't in New York City.
Picture the scene: a large, circular, paved, marble square. In the middle stands the centerpiece: a running fountain that lights up in various colors throughout the night. Street venders selling Greek snacks stand by their carts as people walk by.
An elderly homeless man walks by slowly with a large plastic bag of clothing. A middle aged man plays the violin for tip money while people funnel through, most of them not paying attention. This is the scene of Syntagma Square in the middle of Athens at 9:30pm.
As in most places, young people dominate the square both in number and volume. High school age students wearing name brand shirts flock around in large groups. Smaller groups ride by doing tricks on bikes and skateboards. One boy in particular has long disheveled hair matching his baggy t-shirt and jeans. The "skater kid" really is universal. And so is the "man bun."
Tourists snap pictures of the architecture and the locals' "way of life," which primarily seems to be walking quickly through with earbuds in and heads set looking somewhere between the ground and straight ahead.



The people that really struck me the most were the dancers. Off to the side stood a group that at any time contained 3 to 7 people. They played music (Missy Elliot among others, interestingly enough) out of a radio. They really didn't care about who was watching, and they danced casually, feeling the music and responding with movements strikingly similar to those I saw in Union Square last week.
Wherever you go, the relationships between people continue to be the most interesting. Couples walk by holding hands- more than in the United States. Guys greet each other with the "bro-five," the universal half hand-shake half-hug. A young girl pushes up her bra into the position to guarantee the most cleavage as the talks to a group of three boys her age or slightly older.
Throughout all of this, the sounds of protests ring in our ears as a large crowd parades down the streets shouting loudly. I can't tell you exactly what they were protesting, but some English speaking ladies nearby say it is "something about police." This acts as a constant reminder that although America is filled with political unrest, we aren't alone and we definitely don't have it the worst.
One thing that I've really come to appreciate about traveling is that it gives you a chance to think about how every person has a story. While they may outwardly fall into the same groups and have similar experiences, each one has an individual history and way of looking at the world.


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